AJ Dybantsa, the top college basketball recruit in the class of 2025, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take.”

“I noticed a lot during my visit,” Dybantsa said. “Of course coach Kevin Young is there. My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA. He coached my favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant, and he spoke highly of him. When I visited, he was a head coach all the way up to the analyst, the analyst, all the way up to the nutritionist are all NBA employees, even the strength coach.

“If it’s all about the NBA, I’m trying to get into the NBA. I think this will be the best development program for me.”

The Cougars were one of the 6-foot-10 forward’s final four options out of Utah Prep Academy, which also included Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina. All four schools were aware that Dybantsa would likely be an individual player, as he is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

BYU hasn’t had an NBA draft pick since Jimmer Fredette went No. 10 overall in 2011.

Dybantsa, who turns 18 in January, is currently ahead of Cameron Boozer, a Duke commit and son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, and Darryn Peterson, who will play for Kansas.

“When Dybantsa is on the court, especially at 5-on-5, it is difficult to focus on others,” Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports wrote of Dybantsa after a basketball minicamp in the U.S. last year. “With his 6-9 frame, he has great length and can take long strides with the ball in his hands, allowing him to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He moves better away from the ball and since he’s such a good scorer, it’s a real eye-catcher to increase the distance on the field for his teammates.

Dybantsa, who does not have contracts with Red Bull or Nike, began his high school career at St. Sebastian’s in Massachusetts, where he was named the state’s player of the year. He then transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California for his sophomore season before settling in at Utah Prep Academy and moving up from the high school class of 2026 to the high school class of 2025.